Walk in the Light

October 5, 2026

October 5th, 2026

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 16

Highlight Verse:

“Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

One way you can tell someone who is devoted to Jesus from someone who is devoted to themselves is their attitude toward money.

I’m not coming down on wealthy Christians.

The big question here is what happens when wealth is threatened.

In today’s reading, the masters of the possessed slave girl were quite upset when their livelihood was damaged by the girl’s deliverance. Their devotion was to their wealth.

I’ve also known a few Christians who, as they used to say, “lost their religion” when financially threatened.

But then, I’ve known at least one wealthy person who maintained his faith and giving attitude when his business collapsed and his circumstances were much reduced.

There are a lot of faithful people out there who use their wealth to spread God’s love in meaningful ways. Instead of maintaining a tight, jealous grip on their wealth, they recognize that it is truly God’s wealth that they are allowed to control for a little while.

I can guarantee that type of wealthy person has far more joy than the one who tries to keep an iron grip on their wealth.

Have you known people who were stingy with their wealth? What about someone who was generous?
Which person was happier?
October 4, 2026

October 4th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“These men say that night is day; they claim that the darkness is light.”
‭‭Job‬ ‭17‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Job was, of course, speaking of his so-called friends turned tormentors.

He might as well have been speaking about a lot of people today.

Morality has been presented as intolerance and therefore evil.

Belief in God has been presented as ignorance and teaching children about God as leading them astray.

In so many ways, we are being told that truth is a lie and lies are the truth.

How do we know what is true?

I could simply say “God’s Word” and be correct.

I could also say the truth is revealed in faith and be correct.

But I’m a natural skeptic. I need evidence.

Here’s the evidence that convinced me:

• The Bible is the most documented body of writing in history.
• The message of the Bible, taken in context, is cohesive.
• That message reflects the love of the Father which, as a father, makes perfect sense.
• The message of the Bible reflects the miraculous power of God, much of which I have witnessed.
• The people who walked with Jesus were so convinced that He was truly the Son of God and His message was true that they willingly submitted to torture and death rather than forsake faith in Him.
• Those who truly followed Jesus’ teaching have been the most loving people I have ever known.
• Every time I have followed God’s instructions in the Bible, it has brought more joy, fulfillment, and growth in my life.

I could go on and on and on.

To put it plainly, the truth is found in Jesus alone.

What evidence has convinced you that Jesus is true?
What questions have stood between you and faith?
October 3, 2026

October 3rd, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 John 4: 7-21

Highlight Verse:

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A seasonal business has opened back up in our area called the “Haunted Field of Screams” (part of Maize in the City). It exemplifies this month.

I don’t hate October since 2 of my daughters were born in October (as well as several other family members).

I like the fall colors and harvest flavors.

But I don’t like that so many emphasize fear and evil this month.

It’s all rooted in All Saints Eve, otherwise know as Halloween.

The traditions of Halloween go back to the pagan practice of appeasing the spirits of the dead with offerings to keep them from haunting. That morphed into the practice of giving candy to kids (to keep them from haunting us?)

That’s an oversimplification but still true.

I can understand why many believers choose to avoid anything that has to do with Halloween.

I’ve been known to turn off the lights and watch movies in the basement on October 31 myself.

Nowadays, we decorate our home with fall decorations and hand out full-size candy bars to the kids of our neighborhood.

Does that make me a hypocrite?

I don’t think so.

This is the one day a year when nearly all the kids in the neighborhood come to our door.

I just can’t pass up the opportunity to get the Gospel to them.

Taped to those candy bars will be a note with a QR Code. The code will lead to a webpage with a story about a scary moment in my life with a Gospel message tied to it.

It’s not a preachy story; just one kid relating how God has helped him overcome fear, inviting them to learn about God while sharing God’s love through candy.

I invite you to join me. Stock up on those big candy bars (Costco has them for less than a dollar each right now) and attach a message of hope to them.

You are welcome to use my QR Code (which will be posted on the downloads page at http://www.WITLBible.com in a few days) and story or write your own. There are also many tracts available to hand out (though people tend to react more positively to websites).

Instead of reflecting the evil aspects of Halloween or hiding from the whole thing,

I challenge you to take advantage of the holiday to shine the light of Jesus in your neighborhood.

What other ways have you turned the dark holiday of Halloween into an opportunity to spread the Gospel?What do you do to be sure that people know that you do not support the evil aspects of Halloween?
October 2, 2026

October 2nd, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Habakkuk 3

Highlight Verse:

“This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk:”
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT

Is it strange that I focus on the fact that this chapter is a song rather than on the content of the chapter?

Yes, the message is important, but so is the fact that it is presented in musical form.

If it gives you visions of Tevye singing and dancing across the Russian countryside in Fiddler on the Roof, so be it. But that’s not the point.

A long time ago, when I ran sound for a christian conference center, my favorite conference every year was Jews for Jesus.

The music and dancing were amazing.

But here’s the important part. Almost all their songs were taken straight from the Bible.

The tunes were so catchy that I could remember them long after.

And that is the point.

Habakkuk wanted the people to remember this prayer.

He wanted people to remember how awesome God is.

And he wanted them to rejoice in God no matter their situation.

If there is a passage of scripture that you want to remember for good, find it in song form.

Better yet, if you have that talent, put it to music yourself.

In the meantime, enjoy Habakkuk’s song.

Are there scriptures that you remember because you heard them in song?
What verses/chapter would you like to see put to music?
October 1, 2026

October 1st, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelation 10

Highlight Verse:

“When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.””
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Guess what?

We can’t know everything.

Yes, even though John heard the seven thunders, God did not allow him to share it with us. Anywhere. Not through the rest of Revelation. Not in the letters or Gospel of John.

We cannot know everything that is going to happen in the end.

To be honest, I’ve always been uncomfortable with people who claim that they have the end times all figured out.

Usually, their books and sermons contain copious amounts of conjecture and bending of the words in Revelation and other scripture.

That’s not good.

And, frankly, I think not knowing everything is good.

It is in human nature to try to get away with as much misbehavior for as long as we know we can.

When we know the end will come like a thief in the night, we are more likely to live according to God’s Word.

That’s good for us.

If we knew exactly what was going to happen at what time, we would have a tendency to put off righteousness as long as possible.

That would be harmful to us and others.

Beyond that, the mystery of the exact circumstances of the end times gives us a chance to exercise our faith.

I don’t know about you, but my faith could use some good exercise.

So, here’s your chance.

Trust God that He knows what He is doing with the end times.

While you’re at it, trust Him in your day-to-day life too.

Do you struggle with trusting that God has the end times taken care of?
Can you trust God in the day-to-day as well?
September 30, 2026

September 30th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – Ezra 9-10

Highlight Verse:

“While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him.”
‭‭Ezra‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Today’s reading is a tough pill to swallow.

As always, we need to look at it in a cultural context. The Israelites had strict rules about who they could marry. This was especially true about the leadership that today’s passage talks about.

They had broken those rules and were seeing the consequences in their watered-down faith.

The effects were heart breaking and the solution was too.

Fortunately, there were few children born from these unsanctioned marriages.

While it did not talk about it here, by Jewish law of the time, the men would have had to give provisions to the ex-wives and children.

It is still brutal and I’m sure there was a lot of hardship born of this situation.

If you are wondering if this passage means that we should be following these marriage rules today, I would say the answer is yes and no.

While race should have no impact on who you marry, faith should.

While it is not a law in the context of today’s church,

a married couple that shares faith goals will be far more effective in achieving those goals.

I could go into what to do in the case of a married couple where one is a believer and the other is not, but there are other New Testament scriptures that cover that. We can talk about that then.

One last thing that I don’t want to overlook from today’s reading is the fact that Ezra wept for the sin of Israel’s leadership even though he did not commit it.

As a good leader, he took on the guilt of those he led rather than just accusing the ones who actually committed the sin.

He brought the seriousness of the sin to light in humility, not arrogance.

Do you understand why Ezra called for divorce/annulment in today’s reading?
What are your thoughts on this difficult passage?
How do you think we can lead effectively in humility?
September 29, 2026

September 29th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Deuteronomy 7-8

Highlight Verse:

“When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

You might think, “Wow, Richard wants us to learn how to annihilate whole groups of people.”

That wasn’t God’s point then and it certainly isn’t mine now.

God wanted His people to be able to avoid everything that pulls them away from Him.

The idea was to make sure these people did not drag them back into sin.

As you may have guessed, they did let many people live and those people did pull Israelites away from God.

So, what does that mean for us today?

If there is something in our lives that is pulling us away from God, we need to remove it completely.

It could be a hobby, a habit, or a possession that possesses you.

It could even be a person that you need to avoid because they are constantly causing you to sin.

Allow me this caveat. This should not be an excuse to cut out relationships that you simply don’t like.

Sometimes we have to avoid someone who is bad for us, but not at the expense of breaking a commitment you made before God unless it is for your or your children’s safety.

That said, we should each prayerfully consider whether or not there is something in our lives that is getting between us and God.

If there is, we should prayerfully and decidedly remove that from our lives.

Has there been something in the past that you had to remove to get closer to God?
How did removing that change your relationship with God?
Is there something He is challenging you to remove now?
September 28, 2026

September 28th, 2026

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 15

Highlight Verse:

“Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The argument Paul and Barnabas were so passionate about was circumcision.

Paul and Barnabas were raised Jewish, so they were arguing on behalf of the Gentile (not of Jewish descent) believers.

Why were they so passionate?

They were called to reach Gentiles.

Circumcision would have caused many to shy away from the Gospel.

More importantly, requiring it would have violated the principle that salvation is by God’s grace, not by religious ceremony.

Paul and Barnabas did not back down so the church decided to defer to the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem.

The churches then abided by the decision handed down by the Apostles and Elders.

Humans can get stuff wrong.

Pastors and local church elders are human.

I have seen far too many churches get off track in theology and mission.

That is why accountability is important.

Denominations and church associations go a long way toward stopping heretical teaching (though I believe a few denominations have gone way off track by ignoring parts of the Bible).

When we switched to the church we now attend and serve in, I specifically asked who holds them accountable.

The fact that we are still there tells you that they have a good accountability structure in place.

I could go on and on about this issue, but the bottom-line is,

we should each be open to correction from the from the youngest convert to the eldest leader and pastor.

That correction should come about in a respectful manner involving an accountability structure when needed.

All of that accountability should be based on the Word of God and handled with the love of God.

Have you seen accountability in action in your church or denomination? How well was it handled?
Have you been corrected in the church? If so, were they correct? How did you handle it?
September 27, 2026

September 27th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 15-16

Highlight Verses:

“Then Job spoke again: “I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are! Won’t you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking?”
‭‭Job‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes words can be healing.

Sometimes we just need to learn when to shut up.

My family can tell you, this is a lesson I am still trying to learn.

So, instead of discussing these chapters today,

let’s spend a few minutes quietly considering them and praying over them.

After that, feel free to share anything that stood out from today’s reading.

And have a blessed, quiet Sunday.
September 26, 2026

September 26th, 2026

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – John 5:1-10, Mark 2:1-12

Highlight Verses:

“Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!””
‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
““Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Jesus healed a lot of people.

Some came to him. Some He went to.

Some healings ticked off the religious leaders.

All were healed.

He usually gave them marching orders:
• Go and sin no more.
• Go to the priests (to be declared free from Leprosy).
• Stick out your hand.
• Stand up and pick up your mat.
• Or, curiously, don’t tell anyone.

That last one deserves a study of its own, so we’ll save that for later.

But why did He tell at least two of the people He healed to stand up and pick up their mats.

They both happened on the Sabbath so some would say it was specifically to make the religious leaders angry.

I wouldn’t rule that out as a partial reason, but I think it goes deeper.

Notice that neither of these men came to Jesus for healing.

The first was brought by his friends.

The second had been beside a healing pool for 38 years.

Yes – thirty-eight years.

Neither of them was healed by his own faith.

Both needed to make that healing theirs.

By standing up, they each did something they had not been able to do in a long time. If they did not believe they could stand, they would have stayed on their mats.

By picking up their mats, they left their old life of relying only on others and stepped forth to do something for themselves.

We all need healing at times. It could be physical, emotional, or other.

Whether we sought the healing ourselves or others brought it to us,

we each need to accept that healing by faith and step forth, leaving our old unwell self behind.

What kinds of healings have you received from Jesus?
What did you have to leave behind?

One way you can tell someone who is devoted to Jesus from someone who is devoted to themselves is their attitude toward money.

I can guarantee that type of wealthy person has far more joy than the one who tries to keep an iron grip on their wealth.

He might as well have been speaking about a lot of people today.

How do we know what is true?

To put it plainly, the truth is found in Jesus alone.

But I don’t like that so many emphasize fear and evil this month.

This is the one day a year when nearly all the kids in the neighborhood come to our door.

I challenge you to take advantage of the holiday to shine the light of Jesus in your neighborhood.

Yes, the message is important, but so is the fact that it is presented in musical form.

But here’s the important part. Almost all their songs were taken straight from the Bible.

If there is a passage of scripture that you want to remember for good, find it in song form.

We can’t know everything.

And, frankly, I think not knowing everything is good.

Trust God that He knows what He is doing with the end times.

While you’re at it, trust Him in your day-to-day life too.

Today’s reading is a tough pill to swallow.

a married couple that shares faith goals will be far more effective in achieving those goals.

He brought the seriousness of the sin to light in humility, not arrogance.

God wanted His people to be able to avoid everything that pulls them away from Him.

So, what does that mean for us today?

If there is, we should prayerfully and decidedly remove that from our lives.

More importantly, requiring it would have violated the principle that salvation is by God’s grace, not by religious ceremony.

Humans can get stuff wrong.

we should each be open to correction from the from the youngest convert to the eldest leader and pastor.

Sometimes we just need to learn when to shut up.

let’s spend a few minutes quietly considering them and praying over them.

Jesus healed a lot of people.

By picking up their mats, they left their old life of relying only on others and stepped forth to do something for themselves.

we each need to accept that healing by faith and step forth, leaving our old unwell self behind.